Devoted fans of the US version of The Office will remember the season six story arc when Jim Halpert is promoted to co-manager of Dunder Mifflin paper company’s beleaguered Scranton enterprise.
For those not familiar with the series, it’s a dud idea from the outset with neither employee sure of whether they’re the boss or not.
A similar comedy of errors has played out more often than not at the Wests Tigers and St George Illawarra Dragons over the past couple of decades.
At least they’ve survived. North Sydney Bears fans are still scratching their heads over the failed Northern Eagles mess they were forced into with Manly which only lasted three years before the Sea Eagles cut their strange bedfellows adrift.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Put simply, joint ventures are a compromise that don’t work in rugby league or at the very least, make it hard for that club to compete with united rivals.
On paper, Dunder Mifflin or otherwise, combining the resources of two clubs into one should give that merged team an advantage.
In reality, it just exacerbates the factional politics inherent in most NRL clubs.
If success really does start at the front office, it’s almost impossible to achieve it when it has built-in divisions.
Each of the NRL’s two joint ventures have won a premiership but a strike rate of a title every quarter of a century is not only below average but well under expectations. And they were placed 16th and 17th heading into Round 12.
Wests Tigers have qualified for the finals just three times in 23 attempts, including their 2005 premiership triumph, while St George Illawarra have racked up a solitary playoff win (five years ago) since Wayne Bennett coached them to Grand Final glory in 2010.
The Tigers, after collecting last season’s wooden spoon, have yet again been rocked by infighting with incidents like Wests football club chairman Shannon Cavanagh being told to front a disciplinary hearing earlier this season after criticising joint venture chair Lee Hagipantelis and CEO Justin Pascoe in front of sponsors.
(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
And then there was the recent signing of Scott Fulton to become the club’s recruitment boss, which was done without the knowledge of coach Tim Sheens and the person he’d previously appointed to the role, Warren McDonnell, whose remit has been reduced to looking after pathways rather than the NRL roster.
Incidents like these underlines the ongoing volatility in the uneasy relationship between the Magpies and Balmain diehards.
Wests Tigers at least now have a permanent home base at Concord following the opening of their long-awaited Centre of Excellence late last year but continue to be the NRL’s game-day nomads.
No less than seven venues will be used for their 12 home games in 2023 – three matches apiece for Leichhardt Oval and Campbelltown, two at CommBank Stadium, another at Accor Stadium, the Magic Round meeting with the Dragons, a clash with the Rabbitohs in Tamworth and a Warriors sojourn in Waikato.
Meanwhile, over at Kogarah/Wollongong, the Dragons have been an ongoing source for off-field content for several years and even after a summer of discontent of truly epic proportions, they were somehow confident of proving the doubters wrong.
The doubters were not wrong.
All the dramas of the off-season – too many to list, ranging from training scuffles to criminal matters – turned out to be a precursor for a lacklustre campaign leading up to coach Anthony Griffin’s sacking on Tuesday.
As has been the case since they formed in 1999 when the Saints and the Steelers created history by becoming the NRL’s first joint venture, club officials are at pains to say they are now one single entity, not two factions.
The St George faction had the money, Illawarra provided the fertile junior nursery and it wasn’t until WIN Corporation increased its stake in the Illawarra club five years ago from 25 per cent to full ownership that the Steelers have had the financial clout that they lacked in the first two decades of the merger.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
One bone of contention from when the arranged marriage was consummated has always been whether the coach is from one side of the other – from David Waite, Nathan Brown and Steve Price being from the St George side or when Andrew Farrar and Paul McGregor were in charge and seen as Steelers products.
The only times that wasn’t an issue was when “outsiders” have been at the helm – when Wayne Bennett led them to premiership success in his 2009-11 stint and Griffin’s tenure over the past three years when greater concerns were higher on the agenda than such perceptions.
At least with Jason Ryles, Ben Hornby and Dean Young in the mix to be the next coach, they are all young enough to have only had the St George Illawarra logo above their heart when they played for the club.
Back at the Tigers and Western Suburbs now have the whip hand when it comes to controlling the purse strings after Balmain’s finances have gone south to the point where they now have just a 10% stake in the combined entity.
It’s not right to blame their ongoing lack of success – owning the NRL’s longest playoff drought at 12 years and counting – entirely on the factionalism within.
Some of the head-scratching decisions can simply be put down to poor management rather than anything to do with the club’s complicated structure.
Hagipantelis recently defended the decision not to inform Sheens about the significant appointment of Fulton by claiming commercial sensitivity was required because of his previous employment with Manly and they were “very respectful of that”.
This may be so but it was disrespectful to Sheens, the only coach who has delivered a premiership to this franchise, and had been entrusted with the task of overseeing this most recent rebuild as football manager and now coach before handing over to understudy Benji Marshall in 2025.
Dragons coach Anthony Griffin looks on after losing the round 11 clash with the Cowboys. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Now that Griffin is off the “which coach will be punted next” sweepstakes, Sheens is rising up the leaderboard – it will surprise many if he sees out the existing arrangement until the end of next season.
It would be very on brand for the Tigers to force Sheens out and throw a club legend like Marshall to the wolves before he is ready for the rigours of being a head coach.
Sheens knows how rugby league clubs operate amid a constant stench of backroom politics – he made his debut as a Penrith forward half a century ago, before many of the parents of his current team were even born and has pretty much seen it all in both the NRL and Super League as a coach.
Despite a terrible start to the season when the Tigers lost seven on the trot, he was adamant their fortunes would turn around even when the defeats kept piling up and he’s been vindicated somewhat over the past three weeks with an upset over premiers Penrith, a win over the Dragons and a gallant performance in going down to Souths suggesting the team is headed in the right direction.
After St George Illawarra’s dramatic win over the Roosters on Friday night, the Tigers need to keep pace with their joint-venture cousins by beating the Cowboys on Saturday night at Leichhardt Oval.
And while they have finally attracted a few high-profile recruits this year in the form of Api Koroisau, David Klemmer, Isaiah Papalii and John Bateman, they won’t be adding Shaun Johnson to that list with the Warriors halfback set to remain in Auckland if he plays on next year.
Luke Brooks. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
They had been linked to young English playmaker Lewis Dodd to solve their halfback woes but his St Helens chief executive, Mike Rush, reportedly warned him off joining a team like the Wests Tigers.
There’s still a stigma about the club when it comes to free agents which won’t go away overnight.
It all adds up to besieged half Luke Brooks potentially staying next season after his current multimillion-dollar long-term deal expires.
Everyone outside Concord is screaming “no, don’t do it” to both parties – Brooks looks like he needs a new home to escape the baggage he carries at the Tigers while the club could do with a change rather than basing their attack around a player who has had limited success in the role for a decade.
Sheens said at his captain’s run media conference on Friday that the 28-year-old, who will play his 200th NRL match on his home ground against North Queensland, was well and truly in the mix for a new deal, particularly with regular halves partner Adam Doueihi likely to miss most of next season due to his ACL tear.
He signed Brooks as a teenager during his first stint as coach more than a decade ago with a plan to build the team around three other young prospects, James Tedesco, Aaron Woods and Mitchell Moses, who ended up departing a few years later.
Tim Sheens. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
“He and Mitchell were the two halves, we signed them both. They were going to be our spine, obviously it didn’t happen with Mitch. Tedesco, he was in that mix as well, Woodsy. They were the four young kids that I signed and that was part of the future of the club,” he lamented.
“It didn’t happen. Lots of things happened. Coaches (including himself) came and went, CEOs came and went and players came and went. All I’m worried about is what we’re doing now.”
Sheens is thrilled Brooks has been able to silence a few of his critics, at least momentarily, with his recent form.
“He’s had his big moments and he’s playing good footy at the moment,” Sheens said.
“We will definitely be making him an offer, it just comes down to how much that offer is and how other people are thinking and what he’s thinking. That’s going to happen in the next week and a half. In the bye we will sort that out.
“I’ve always had my eye on keeping Brooksy. I don’t care what external people said. Most people haven’t got a clue. I’m keen to keep him happy and keep him here.”
Dutski
Roar Guru
He was good enough to play for state and country early on, but that faded quickly and he's been trading on past credits for what feels like a long time now.
Birdy
Roar Rookie
Woods never attacks the defenders he has made skill out of rolling into tackles and getting his stats uo
Birdy
Roar Rookie
I'm pretty sure when all the merger talk started east Brisbane made an offer to Balmain to merge playing games in Brisbane and Leichhardt.Typically Balmain showed zero interest. Id love to see both mergers break up but no idea how to a hieve it.
Paul Suttor
Expert
Junior Amone, Jayden Sullivan, Jack Bird, Tyrell Sloan, the Feagai twins, Blake Lawrie, Toby Couchman all came into the NRL from the Steelers & there's a few others at other clubs like Reuben Garrick, Drew Hutchison, Damien Cook, Jacob Host, Reece Robson, Tyson Frizell ... the supply system is still strong
Micko
Roar Rookie
South Melbourne eventually turned it around after the Sydney move: 7 GF's, 2 premierships, 3 minor premierships.
Micko
Roar Rookie
South Melbourne moved to Sydney in 1982. I assume no other Melbourne club wanted to merge with them. And maybe SM wanted to relocate rather than consider a merger in any case?
Micko
Roar Rookie
Both clubs have made GF's and won GF's since merging into a joint venture, so I don't understand why it's an apparent issue. Clubs in open leagues can just be bad for a decade or several decades. Just a natural part of sport.
Dionysus
Roar Rookie
In terms of club leadership, I whole heartedly agree. Duel leadership is a recipe for disaster and creates confusion and lack of clarity. Try asking any 7 year old who tries to play mum off against dad. He has learned the issues of duel leadership at that tender age. As for mergers (and I know I won't be popular when I say this), they can and do work in all walks of life. The problem is that they have to come together for the right reasons, there has to be a sum of the whole > than 2 individuals and there has to be complete buy in and a willingness to start anew. Both the Dragons and Tigers are examples of where those pre-requisites have not be achieved. Even in their club names, you can see evidence of 2 factions and an unwillingness to let go of the past. Constant in-fighting at the Tigers actually proves my point rather than detracting from it. From my limited knowledge, both of these clubs operate on a democratic voting process to elect board members and in making key decisions which while fine in principle tends to suggest everyone wanting a say and compromise rather than clear decision making. I am all for accountability and harsh decisions for under performers but such a structure always leads to mediocrity and mediocrity never achieves the heights needed to win Premierships. So just because we have a case of 2 out of 2 sample that does not prove the case though both clubs would do well to heed it (if they can).
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
That’s an interesting idea Cadfael, to see something that worked, how? Why? What difference or mistakes League does/do to that AFL club. Swans also been ok, or it that at as a straight out move rather joint venture?
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Can you imagine what the NRL would look like if Roger Goodell ran the game
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Away from league, the best joint venture has been the AFL's Brisbane Lions (Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy Lions) with 12 finals appearances (3 premierships) since 1997. Probhably the NRL should have looked at the Brisbane Lions merger before allowing the three NRL mergers (takeovers?)
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Yeah Mike. I’d thought alone those lines being better spreading out of that Sydney zone. But taking a poorly managed board to another area/city is strong possibility to be weak/poorly run team there also
Dutski
Roar Guru
Hard to believe the Big 4 of the Tigers and how they played out their careers: Teddy - Elite Moses - Nearly top tier Woods - excellent to past it with a rapid decline to a long tail Brooks - never better than ok Moses Looks likely to have the longest career from here. Teddy is on the decline, can’t see anyone else wanting Brooks and Woods should have retired already. Strange how it all works out.
Succhi
Roar Rookie
What’s happened to all the Illawarra juniors? There used to be almost an endless supply of talent from the south. And agree Panthers, geographically it makes sense to have an Illawarra/South Coast team.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
No argument… both areas are great nurseries and have strong support. Personally I think both should be ahead of the Queensland push for more teams.. but you know that the NRL will keep on track with another SEQ franchise come hell or high water.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Both make perfect sense as NRL clubs. They have the growing populations. They’ll have the backing. Let’s face it , the Central Coast already have a Shelly Beach juniors development centre. Run by the Roosters.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
JV’s have their issues but as Manly fans can attest.. private ownership has more than its fair share of issues too. The Penn regime, far from propelling the club forward appears to be holding it back
Tom G
Roar Rookie
Whilst this makes perfect sense, the push back is identical to the Central Coast argument proffered by the NRL, lack of local commercial backing, outside of WIN. Personally I think that’s bs but I know that is the resistance in doing it. The Central Coast likewise have a tailor made patron in John Singleton, somehow that doesn’t add up either
Nat
Roar Guru
Insert "NO NO NO NO NOOOOO NO NOOOO" meme here.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
I thought merges was the way back then, looking at the positive two teams fans get to stay in the comp rather then one team getting removed, picking one team of players from two teams and a larger area, two boards being happy they are still a part of if it. Na, it can’t get past the ‘my team’ thing, old board alliances come up, merge two hopeless boards, ordinary managers don’t give one strong managed board. I now think league minds are too simple for it to work, these aren’t really business people. I don’t think the league would do it in future. I don’t think moving a weak team to another location is the way either. The best way maybe, so it keeps some fans is to do it ‘in name only’. Fans are really loyal to boards, or evens players. It’s a group of colours, a mascot and name. For example that Brisbane tigers talk of past week, end west tigers, ‘merge’ them north. But only in mascot and colours, no board members or management. They want a job there, they apply. I also think if a current merger dissolved, one half isn’t left remaining. Both are gone.